Docker /bin/bash: nodemon: command not found

Question

I am trying to mount my working node code from my host into a docker container and run it using nodemon using docker-compose. But container doesn't seems to be able to find nodemon. Note: My host machine does not has node or npm installed on it.

Here are the files in the root folder of my project (test). (This is only a rough draft)

Dockerfile

FROM surenderthakran/nodejs:v4
ADD . /test
WORKDIR /test
RUN make install
CMD make run

Makefile

SHELL:=/bin/bash
PWD:=$(shell pwd)
export PATH:= $(PWD)/node_modules/.bin:$(PWD)/bin:$(PATH)
DOCKER:=$(shell grep docker /proc/1/cgroup)

install:
    @echo Running make install......
    @npm config set unsafe-perm true
    @npm install

run:
    @echo Running make run......
# Check if we are inside docker container
ifdef DOCKER
    @echo We are dockerized!! :D
    @nodemon index.js
else
    @nodemon index.js
endif

.PHONY: install run

docker-compose.yml

app:
    build: .
    command: make run
    volumes:
        - .:/test
    environment:
        NODE_ENV: dev
    ports:
        - "17883:17883"
        - "17884:17884"

package.json

{
  "name": "test",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "test",
  "main": "index.js",
  "dependencies": {
    "express": "^4.13.3",
    "nodemon": "^1.8.0"
  },
  "devDependencies": {},
  "scripts": {
    "test": "echo \"Error: no test specified\" && exit 1"
  },
  "keywords": [
    "api",
    "nodejs",
    "express"
  ],
  "author": "test",
  "license": "ISC"
}

index.js

'use strict';

var express = require('express');

I build my image using docker-compose build. It finishes successfully. But when I try to run it using docker-compose up, I get:

Creating test_app_1...
Attaching to test_app_1
app_1 | Running make run......
app_1 | We are dockerized!! :D
app_1 | /bin/bash: nodemon: command not found
app_1 | make: *** [run] Error 127
test_app_1 exited with code 2
Gracefully stopping... (press Ctrl+C again to force)

Can anyone please advice?

Note: The Dockerfile for my base image surenderthakran/nodejs:v4 can be found here: https://github.com/surenderthakran/dockerfile_nodejs/blob/master/Dockerfile

Diseur

If you try interactively, does it work? – Riess

@Riess Yes it works interactively – Diseur

Sounds like a PATH issue - try using the full path to nodemon: /path/to/nodemon – Edyth

@ChrisMcKinnel the issue has been resolved. Feel free to suggest a better solution as mine is not very elegant. Thanks – Diseur

@Riess the issue has been resolved. Feel free to suggest a better solution as mine is not very elegant. Thanks – Diseur

Answer 1

The issue has been resolved. The issue boiled down to me not having node_modules in the mounted volume.

Basically, while doing docker-compose build the image was build correctly with the actual code being added to the image and creating the node_modules folder by npm install in the project root. But with docker-compose up the code was being mounted in the project root and it was overriding the earlier added code including the newly created node_modules folder.

So as a solution I compromised to install nodejs on my host and do a npm install on my host. So when the code my being mounted I still got my node_modules folder in my project root because it was also getting mounted from my host.

Not a very elegant solution but since it is a development setup I am ready for the compromise. On production I would be setting up using docker build and docker run and won't be using nodemon anyways.

If anyone can suggest me a better solution I will be greatful.

Thanks!!

Diseur

I'm not that familiar with npm/node, but I think you could install them to a different url outside of the project root using npm install -g and then link to them with npm link instead of installing them again locally? Another alternative might be to install them to a custom path in the container using npm config set prefix, then have a symlink in your project directory that points ./node_modules at that directory. I think that will work with both add and volumes. – Mutineer

Bullseye solution. – Nieman

Answer 2

I believe you should use a preinstall script in your package.json.

So, in the script section, just add script:

 "scritpts": {
     "preinstall": "npm i nodemon -g",
     "start": "nodemon app.js",
 }

And you should good to go :)

Shirleenshirlene

Maybe you'll need to RUN npm set unsafe-perm true before RUN npm install. – Lippmann

Answer 3

I've figured out how to do this without a Dockerfile, in case that's useful to anyone...

You can run multiple commands in the docker-compose.yml command line by using sh -c.

  my-server:
    image: node:18-alpine
    build: .
    volumes:
      - .:/usr/src/app
      - /usr/src/app/node_modules
    working_dir: /usr/src/app
    ports:
      - "3100:3100"
    command: sh -c "npm install -g nodemon && npm install && npm run dev "
    environment:
      NODE_ENV: development
      PORT: 3100

Dioscuri

hey it's perfecto ! Here is my Dockerfile FROM node:14 WORKDIR /app COPY package.json /app/ RUN npm install -g nodemon RUN npm install COPY . /app EXPOSE 3000 CMD ["npm", "run", "dev"] – Marchelle

Answer 4

Pretty late for an answer. But you could use something called as named volumes to mount your node_modules in the docker volumes space. That way it would hide your bind mount.

Litchi

Answer 5

You need to set the node_modules as a mounted volume in the docker container.

e.g

docker-compose.yml

app:
build: .
command: make run
volumes:
    - .:/test
    - /test/node_modules
environment:
    NODE_ENV: dev
ports:
    - "17883:17883"
    - "17884:17884"

Godhood